The intelliPACK Leadership Council (LC) has released its first annual report, illustrating the progress it has achieved over the past year in increasing industry engagement.

IntelliPACK, an intelliFLEX and PAC, Packaging Consortium business network is driven by its industrial members, has helped facilitate the growth of smart packaging by creating a supply network, an ecosystem and additional tools such as application notes, use cases and a one-day training course on smart packaging that identifies technology building blocks. intelliFLEX members can download the report in the Members Zone.

In 2018, the LC also launched four subcommittees to help focus attention on critical areas. Each has its own mandate and individual set of goals and achievements:

Environmental: To ensure sustainability in smart packaging, and to consider end-of-life;

“By bringing together key stakeholders from both ends of the value chain – the tech companies from IntelliFLEX, the retailers, brand owners and packaging converters – we are taking a holistic approach to bridge the gap between value chain stakeholders,” said James D. Downham, PAC president and CEO.

“Unlike event- and news-driven organizations, the LC is the only thought leader that pools stakeholders, knowledge and experience to help brands to adopt this new technology. Our future lies in helping brands implement field trials and learn from best practices to short cut the learning,” added intelliFLEX CEO Peter Kallai.

Its subcommittees have made progress on their mandates in 2018. For example, the Environmental subcommittee helped provide input on the development of the GReEN R&D Technology Network, a $6 million federally-funded network aimed at researching green materials for printable and flexible electronics solutions.

The Demo subcommittee has completed half a dozen technology demonstrators to illustrate the power of smart packaging. The Consumer subcommittee is working to create and establish a recognizable, industry standard logo for smart packaging. The Outreach subcommittee has created use cases, reports and white papers.